10 Simple Steps to Install Two Video Cards on a Computer

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Installing a Dual Video Card is pretty simple and straight forward. It depends a little on what system you are using to set up the dual video cards, whether it is Nvidia's "SLI" or AMD's "Crossfire". The instructions below are based on Nvidia's SLI technology.

Steps

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    Ensure that your motherboard is compatible with dual video cards. Either check your motherboard's manual, or, if you don't have that, find out what model it is and check the manufacturer's web site.
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    Depending on how new your motherboard is, you may have to flip the "Single/SLI Video Card" switch into the dual card position. This switch is located between the two video cards' PCI Express slots. On some newer motherboards this is not necessary.
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    The "bridge" connects to the top of each video card. Bridges come in more than one size; if one was included with your motherboard it is the right size to span between the cards.
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    Depending on your motherboard, you may need to connect an additional 4 pin molex PSU connector, referred to as the "Easy Plug Molex". This will enable additional power to run your video cards. Also, depending on your video cards you may need to connect each card to the power supply.
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    You should see a message from your Nvidia control panel (if not you need to navigate to the control panel), stating that your system is configured to take advantage of multiple GPU's. Click to enable.
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    Once this is done you might be required to reboot your system again. You should be set to go.
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  • Question
    How do I know that how many graphics card slots I have ?
    Community Answer
    Look at how many PCI slots you have. Most motherboards have 1 or 2, workstations can have 4 or more.
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    If my motherboard has 2 or more PCI slots, does that mean it is compatible with 2 or more graphics cards?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but in some cases there may be one x16 slot and a x8 data slot, which may mean it doesn't support SLI. If it does you won't see much if a performance boost because of the x8 data bus, so check before you buy the GPUs.
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    How would I install 3 graphics cards?
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    You should have a motherboard and a GPU capable of 3 way SLI or 3 way Crossfire to do this.
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      Tips

      • With Nvidia's SLI, at least for the time being, you must connect two video cards with the same chipset. Example, 1 bfg 7600 gt and 1 evga 7600 gt can be connected.
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      • If you intend to use more than one monitor with your video cards, be aware that while SLI is enabled, only one monitor is supported. A workaround for this involves installing additional hardware.
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      Warnings

      • Make sure to ground yourself before handling hardware as ESD (electrostatic discharge) can fry your components. Static electricity remains a threat to all computer components. It is recommended that you wear clothing that does not produce static charges, that you keep in near constant contact with the computer's chassis, and that you avoid touching the metallic traces of circuit boards inside or out of the computer.
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      • Always unplug your system before installing any hardware
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